As we walked through the towering entrance of the cathedral at Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud today, I was instantly transported back to the 12th century. Founded in 1101 by the itinerant preacher Robert d'Arbrissel, this remarkable abbey was once one of the most powerful monastic complexes in all of France. What makes Fontevraud truly extraordinary is that it was ruled by a succession of 36 abbesses, many from royal lineage, creating a rare space where women held significant power in medieval Euro